Adeje council votes to introduce screening for colonic cancer

At a recent sitting of Adeje council there was unanimous approval for an institutional motion calling for health authorities to introduce screening as part of a prevention programme for Colorectal/Colon cancer.

 

Passed at the most recent sitting of the council following a request from the Spanish Cancer Association, the council announced the call today, March 31st, World Colorectal Cancer Awareness day.  In parallel the council’s department of health, Amada Trujillo Bencomo, has overseen the Plaza de España lit in blue for the last three days and nights of the month.  There is also a banner over the Town Hall referring to the cancer, as a solidarity gesture to all those suffering from this form of cancer, and their families.

 

The cancer association commented, “there is a need for a collective push on awareness surrounding this cancer, the one which has the highest incidence in the Canary Islands, both in the field of prevention in the population in general and among the health authorities, so that a screening programme can be introduced as soon as possible into Canarian boroughs”. 

 

The motion carried by the council session states, “colonic cancer is the cancer with the highest incidence in the Canarian population and the prevention of this cancer through screening is an effective tool in saving lives”. At the same time the council acknowledged that “the situation created by Covid 19 has affected a number of health programmes, but at the same time it is important to maintain our commitment to the availability of this screening by 2024, and see it established within the communal listing of services available through the national health service”.

 

With this in mind, the institutional statement insists that “the regional health authorities must insert the screening for colonic cancer for the population aged between 50-65  into their general programming, and work to ensure it is available in all boroughs by 2024”.